Phonograph



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. T. GILLILAND.

PHONOGRAPH.

No. 898,840. Patented Nov. 2.7, 1888.

ATTUH/VEYS (No Model.)

FEVLL 'L Il@ Null f E' :l Z5 /Z/ l l j 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

Patented Nov. Z7, 1888.

To all whom, it may concern:

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA T.` GILLILAND, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE EDISON PHONOGRAPH COMPANY, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PHONOGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,640, dated November 27,1888.

Application filed J'nne '1, 1888. Serial No. 176,393. (No model.)

Be it known that I, EZRA T. GILLILAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to details of construction of the Edison phonograph, whereby it is made more convenient and efficient.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure lis atop view of the principal parts of the phonograph illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a side View illustrating the gravity guide-arm. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side View illustrating the key-movement for raising the spectacles and setting them back, and Fig. 5 is a top view of the key-movement.

A is the main shaft ofthe phonograph,driven from a suitable motor, operated by hand or power, connected to the shaft by the wheel a. This shaft is mounted in bearings b b upon a suitable base, A. Upon the end of the shaft A, and overhanging the bearings. is the phonogram-cylinder B. Mounted on the basein the rear of the shaft A and phonograni-cylinder Bis a stationary rod, C, arranged parallel with the shaft A, and carrying a sleeve, D, which is adapted to slide and turn on the rod C. At one end this sleeve Drhas secured to it the rocking holding-arm E, which rises over the phonogram-cylinder, and has pivoted lto its upper end the spectacle-frame F, having two eyes for receiving the recorder and reproducer, as will be well understood. This frame F is turned by the thumb-piece c so as to bring either eye over the phonogram-cylinder. An arm, d, projecting from the rocking holdingariu E laterally, carries at its end an adjusting-screw, c, which bears against the frame F, and is adapted by its adjustment to vary the lateral position ofthe eye ofthe frame F, which carries the reproducer, so that the reproducing-needle will be brought into the track of the record. Heretofore the frame F has been heldin place by the friction ofa spring-washer, so that it would remain in any position to which it was adjusted. This enabled the screw e to be adjusted forward, pushing the frame ahead of it; but when adjusted backward the frame would not follow the screw, and consequently the frame had to be kept pushed back against the screw by hand. To

`make this adjustment more convenient, it

is desirable that the frame F should follow the screw @when adjusted in either direction. 'Io accomplish this I provide the hub of the frame F with triangular notchesf, into which takes the beveled point of the spring-pin g, carried by the rocking holding-arm. It will be seen that this spring-pin seeks the bottom of the notch f, and will throw the frame F by itsspring-pressure in either direction, to accomplish this, for a limited distance. Hence, when the spectacle-frame is thrown into the position shown in Fig. l, the screw e can'be adjusted backward and forward and the frame F will follow the screw. Since this adjustment is required only for the reproducer, one arm, d, alone is used. It is evident, also, that only one of the notches f need have inclined sides, since adjustment takes place only at one of such notches. This spring adjustment of the spectacle-frame is one of the features of my invention.

As will be understood, the spectacle-frame has two fingers, 71, provided with adjustingscrews 71,', which bear upon the stationary guiderest G, arranged in front of the phonogram-cylinder and parallel thereto. be also understood that the shaft Ais cut with a iine screw-thread between the bearings b b', which screw-thread feeds forward the rocking holding-arm either for recording or reproducing. Attached to the sleeve D at the end opposite to the rocking holding-arm E is an arm, 1I. This arm H is secured rigidly to the sleeve D,whileanother arm, I, is pivoted upon the sleeve D by the side of the arm H and projects beyond the arm H over the shaft A, it carrying above such shaft a section of a nut or guide-block, i, which engages with the screwthread of the shaft A when the arm I is lowered for that purpose. The arm I passes between the sides of a stirrup,j, into which the end of the arm H is formed. Two set screws, j j?, pass through the sides ofthe stirrup j and bear against the sides of the arrnI which play between them, thus fixing precisely the lateral position of the arm I. A limited vertical motion is permitted the arm I independent of the It will lOO arm II, the upward independent motion ofthe arm l being limited by the pin or screw j,attaehed to the stirrupj, while the rubber band j* eneircles the lower part of the stirrup y', so that the arm l in striking the bottom of the stirrup will be cushioned. The arm I projects forward beyond the shaft A and extends over another screw-threaded shaft, J, which is provided with a screw-thread eut in the reverse direction to the thread of the shaft A and of much greater pitch. This shaft J is mounted upon the base A in front of the shaft A and parallel therewith, it being driven from the shaft A by a small endless belt, 7.1, Upon the outer end of the arm l is mounted a weighted lever, K, having a hook, k', with a knife-edge for engaging t-he screw-thread of the shaft J from the under side, and provided with a knife edge projection, It, which is adapted to ride upon the top of the shaft J and engage with its serew'thread.

It will be seen that the spectacle-frame F is capable of vertical adjustment by the turning of screw t, and that although the rocking holding-arm l l and the arm II are moved to a similar extent, yet the arm I will maintain its connection with the feed'serew of the shaft A, s0 that the recorder or rcproducer can be adjusted more or less into contact with the snrface of the phonogramblank without disturbing the connection ofthe arm I with the feedscrew. This connection of the arm I with the feed-screw is maintained by gravity, such arm being kept down by its own weight. This has been done heretofore by means of a spring` pressing downwardly on the arm I and npwardly on the arm ll.. Eut it will be observed that the elleet of such a spring is to tend to throw the arm II upwardly and to lift the recorder or reprodueer more or less off of the surface ofthe phonogram-blank. Bythe substitution of the gravity guide-arm I overcome this tendency and effeetually remove an objection to the construction heretofore employed.

1t will be seen that when the weighted lever K is in the position shown in the full lines in Fig. 2 the projection 75" will rest on the shaft J, while the guide-block t' will be out of Contact with the screw-thread of the shaft A; and since the screw-thread of the shaft J is one of much greater pitch than that of the shaft A the rocking holding-arm of the spectacleframe will be moved backward with a greater speed than the forward movement ofthe machine. I provide the machine with this device for the purpose of enabling the surface of the phonogram-blank to be more rapidly turned off by means ofthe cutting-tool. Heretofore such cutting-tool has been used in connection with the slower thread of the shaft A and with the forward movement. By swinging the lever K into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 the knifepoint 7c will be brought under the shaft J. \Vhen the lever K is in this position, the arm I falls by gravity until the guide-block z' engages the jecting from the base-frame A.

draws the bar L downwardly.

thread ofthe shaft A; but by lifting the arm I, which is done in the manner to he presently explained, the guide-block will be first disengaged from the screw-thread of the shaft A, which will stop the feed movement, and a further upward movement of the arm I will throw the hook 7u into connection with the screw thread of the shaft J, when the arm I will be moved with greater rapidity in thereverse direction. To accomplish this lifting movement I provide a lifting-bar, Ii, which is placed in front of the guide rest (i and close thereto. This lifting-bar is attached to a lever, L, which is pivoted on an arm, If, pro- .lhe lever L has a key, Z, at its outer end, by which its outer end can be depressed, thus raising the bar L and lifting the spectacleframe, since such bar in being raised strikes one of the fingers h, attached to the spectacle-fraaie. The spring Z Upon the 1everL is pivoted an auxiliary lever, L,thrown upwardly by the spring Z2. This lever L'l has a key, Z, and a downwardly-projecting finger, Z. The arm 'if projects downwardly from a point where the lever L is pivoted to itunder the finger Z ofthe auxiliary lever L, whereit is provided with a raised stop, Zi, and in the rear of such stop with a set-screw, Z, ver If, being pivoted upon the lever L', is capable of a limited vertical motion independent of the lever L, which movement is limited by the pin Zi. Now the level-L may be depressed either at the key Zor at the key Z. lf the key Z is depressed,the finger Z will strike the stop Zi, limiting the downward movement of the key and raising the spectacle-framejust suffr ciently to disengage the guide-blocki from the screw-thread ofthe shaft A, but not sufficiently to engage the hook k' with the thread of the shaft J. \Vhen the parts arein this position,the guide-arm I not being connected with either screw-thread, the spectacle-frame is not fed forward or backward. W'hen, however, it is desired to retract the spectacleframe, as in going back to repeat some matter with a reproducer which is not perfectly understood, the key Z is depressed. The first effect of this is to throw the auxiliary lever La down until itstrikcs the pin Z7. This throws the finger Z* to the rear. The further downward movement carries the lever L with the lever Ii. The finger Z*, however, does not now strike the stop Z, but does strike the point of the screw Z". This permits of a further downward movement of the parts than is aeeomplished when the finger Z4 strikes the stop Z, the bar L is thrown to a definite extent higher up,and the arm I is lifted so as to bring the hook k into engagement with the thread ofthe shalt J, thus rctracting the parts rapidly.

It will be understood that the levers L' and L may also be connected by cords with trcadles. The scale, which has heretofore been placed upon the guide-rest, can now beplaced upon the liftingbar L. Instead of a back-stop which is The le-y ICO struck by the rocking holding-arm E when the spectacle-frame is thrown backward, I provide afnger, m, proj eeting rearwardly from the arm II, and snrrou nded by a rubber band, m, which strikes the edge of the base-frame A and limits the .extent to which the spectacle-frame can be thrown over backward.

What I claim as my invention is#- 1. In aphonograph, the combination,with a reproducer mounted upon a laterally-swinging frame, of a spring tending to throw such frame in either direction, and an adjusting-screw for adjusting said frame laterally against the tension of said spring, substantially as set forth.

2. In a phonograph, the combination, with the swinging spectacle-frame, of a spring throwing such frame to a limited extent in either direction, and an adjustingscrew for adjusting the lateral position of such frame against such spring, substantially as set forth.

3. In a phonograph, the combination, with the rocking holding-arm and the swinging spectacle-frame pivoted thereon and having inclined notches, of a spring-catch with beveled end engaging such notches, and an adjusting-screw for adj listing the frame laterally, substantially as set forth.

4. In a phonograph, the combination, with the rocking holding-arm, of a feed-screw and a gravity guide-arm having a loose connection with the rocking holding-arm, substantially as set forth.

5. In a phonograph, the combinatiom with the rocking holding-arm, of a feed-screw, a

gravity guiding-arm loosely connected with the rockingholding-arm,and adj usting-screws, between which said guide-arm plays, for determining itslateral position, substantially as set forth.

6. In a phonograph, the combination, with the carryingsleeve, of the rocking holdingarm attached thereto, an arm fixed to said sleeve and having a stirrup at its end, and the guide-arm pivoted to the sleeve and passing through said stirrup, and having a limited vertical movement in said stirrup independent of l said fixed arm, substantially as set forth.

7. In a phonograph, the combination, with and the feed-screw,of a retracting-screw and a .hook carried by said guide-arm and engaging the under side of said retracting-screw, substantially as set forth.

8. In a phonograph, the combination, with the rocking carrying-sleeve, the guide-arm, and the feed-screw,of a retractingscrew and a pivoted lever carried by the guide-arm, having ahook adapted to engage the under side of the retracting-scrcw, and a finger adapted to engage the upper side of the retractingscrew, substantially as set forth.

9. In a phonograph, the combination, with the recorder and reproducer carried by the rocking holding-arm and traveling lengthwise ofthe phonogram-cylinder, ofa lifting-bar having a length equal to the movement of the rccorder or reproducer, and a lever moving such lifting-bar to raise the recorder or reproducer off of the surface of the phonogram-blank, substantially as set forth.

' l0. In a phonograph, the combination,with the lifting-bar, of a lever for moving such bar, a stop for limiting the movement, and a mov- 'ing piece for shifting the stop so as to vary the extent of movement, substantially as set forth.

11.. In a phonograph, the combination,with the lifting-bar, thelever for moving such bar, and a stop for limiting the movement, of an auxiliary lever mounted on the iirst lever and having a limited movement thereon, and adapted to change by its movement the point at which the stop will arrest the movement of the levers and lifting-bar, substantially as set forth.

l2. In a phonograph, the combinatiomwith the lifting-bar, of t-he levers LL", stop Z5, finger 1*, and the adjusting-screw Z, substantially as set forth. I

This specification signed and witnessed this 29th day of May, 1888.

EZRA T. GILLILAND.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM PELZER, A. W. KVIDDLE. 

